


Lust is a Part Timer

by Fellusion



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst to Fluff, Depressing, Implied Non-Con, M/M, Nothing explicit, Sexual Abuse, Suicidal Thoughts, This is NOT a fun fic, lust smokes way too much, self-harm mention, things get worse before they get better
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-21
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-01-03 21:29:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12155184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fellusion/pseuds/Fellusion
Summary: In a timeline where the Underground is filled solely with different AU Sanses (god west my souw), Lust finds himself in a dead end job working under Reaper, the equivalent of Mettaton, at his resort. Lust is the outcast, the weirdo. His condition scares people, and all he can do is shut his mouth and look away. With the same monotonous hell repeating every day for so long, it won't be long until he breaks.





	1. It Begins

**Author's Note:**

> ((IM A SHAMELESS BITCH DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE TIMELINE IS ALL SANS I HAVE AN EXPLANATION I SWEAR-  
> Lust is very much different from the canon Lust. Circumstances have shaped his character into something less than fun heh.  
> Please make sure to read the tags!! There's a lot of super dark themes in this fic and I don't want to give anyone heart attacks- ))

Life in the Underground was as normal as they could keep it. People shuffled to their jobs, opened libraries, schools. Shopkeepers dusted their trinkets, turning the sign to “open.” The few children still around built snow forts in Snowdin, giggling as they chased eachother around with balls of snow. Monsters bustled down the various streets of Hotlands, the epicenter of monster traffic. It was where dreams came true, where thoughts became reality. At least for some, that was the case. Others could only wallow in the shadow of the successful, waiting in vain for their chance at something better.

 

\---

 

**BEEP BEEP BEEP-**

A hand crashed down on the alarm. A few minutes later, the sheets to the bed were thrown onto the floor as the skeleton in question sat up, rubbing his head. A few minutes of shuffling around the room and the door to the run down apartment closed, leaving it quiet.

Just another day. He walked down the path, brushing off his work uniform as he passed by the many recognizable buildings. It happened to be especially hot that day. As if Hotland could ever be any cooler.  _ Just his luck _ he thought to himself. His  _ problem _ would be much harder to manage, huh? He grabbed the key out of his back pocket as he approached the back alley, the employee door coming into view. Reaper’s little resort had been open for quite some time now. He never knew why it was popular. Everything was so expensive, as if anyone had the money to pay for all of it! He could barely afford a place to live… His hands fumbled with the key, finally managing to get into its place as he pulled it open, slipping inside.

The employee breakroom was small and run down. He was the only one who needed it anyway, and his boss claimed it was “top quality.” Sure. There was really only a table and chair and a small mini-fridge in the corner along with a locker and a dirty mirror. He opened the mini-fridge, being blasted with even more heat. Right. Hot fridge. He pulled out the coffee from yesterday and downed it straight from the cup before setting it down on the table. He checked the clock.

Ten more minutes before he had to clock in… He sighed, fanning himself a bit. He had woken up late too, so he didn’t have time to take care of his…  _ problem. _ Not that he really wanted to.  _ Disgusting, disgusting, you’re disgusting.  _ He tried to shove that thought away. He didn’t need more negative thoughts clouding his mind. He couldn’t let it fuck up his job, not now.

Looking in the mirror, he wiped his hand across his forehead. His cheeks were more flushed than usual, just great. Hopefully  _ he _ wouldn’t tease about it more than what he was used to. Regardless, he pulled out his pack of cigarettes, popping one into his mouth and lighting it. He felt himself calm down a little more, and he sighed, puffing out some smoke. The only thing keeping him sane, he supposed. He knew it was against code, but his boss let it slide. His boss, Reaper. He… was a real piece of work. Always loved messing with him because of his  _ problem _ . Liked to take advantage of the times when it would get bad- He shivered despite the scalding heat, scraping his wrist with one of his hands. The pain brought him out of his thoughts. He risked a glance at the clock.

Five minutes left. He put his uniform hat on, once again straightening his clothes in the mirror. His hands pat his face a few times.  _ As if that could do anything.  _ He gruffed a little, pinning his tag on his shirt.

“Lust.”

He hated that name. Why, of all names he was given,  _ that  _ was the one that was decided. What was he, one of the 7 deadly sins? And he couldn’t get rid of it, no matter how hard he tried.  _ They all knew _ . He felt ashamed. Ashamed to wear that tag, ashamed to even be acknowledged like any monster on the street. Because they knew. They always knew. He was now staring at the clock, hoping time would slow down like they say it always does if you look for too long.

One minute left. God, he wanted to do anything but stand behind that fucking counter and sell shitty overpriced products to people. But… what would he do otherwise? A disinterested sigh. He adjusted his hat again before walking through the door, leaning against the counter and grabbing a rag to do some quick cleaning. Reaper walked by --  _ of course he did, he always did  _ \-- giving him a sly smile. He ruffled up his bright pink boa, approaching the booth. Pink boa, pink shoes.  _ He was so goddamn pink.  _ It was almost funny how the rest of his clothing was so bland and black compared to it.

“Ready for work?” He said, leaning over the counter, cupping Lust’s face. He tried not to flinch. “Don’t go raping anyone today, you freak~” 

Lust just looked off to the side, grumbling a bit.  _ Don’t retaliate don’t retaliate- _ Reaper let out a small chuckle.

“Can’t have a liability around, now can we? Now remember! Smile first!” He moved his fingers to drag Lust’s frown into a smile, but Lust pulled away, disgusted. He wanted to yell at him, scream at him. But he couldn’t. He just…  _ couldn’t _ .

Reaper just laughed harder. “How rude! I was just trying to show you an example.” A grin cross his face and his expression morphed into something more condescending. “You like it when I touch you though. I know that for sure~” Lust felt himself vomit a little in his mouth, and he had to keep himself from shaking visibly. “But you’ll have to reel in that sex drive until lunch break! After all, you’re just a clerk, can’t go feeling up the customers~”

“You-” He cut himself off, simply shooting a glare. He couldn’t retaliate.  _ Don’t retaliate _ . He didn’t want his pay cut any more than it was already. He hated this. He hated his  _ condition.  _ Fucking- He hated Reaper. He hated his job. He just wanted Reaper to leave him alone. So he smiled. Stiffly. He made it clear to Reaper he was not enjoying this.

Reaper grinned wider. “Now aren’t you an obedient worker! I love that!” He dragged a finger across Lust’s face --  _ God stop touching me stop touching me _ \-- before backing away. “Have fun at work darling! I’ll see you at break.”

Lust couldn’t help but whisper a small “fuck you,” taking a long drag from his cigarette.

 

\---

 

They used to get new monsters--  _ skeletons _ more like-- often falling down one of the many holes in the Ruins. Those who fell always seemed to know what they wanted to do, what they were meant to do. It made things easier, supposedly. 

The Ruins closed were closed off when the Queen ran off, escaping tragedy. No one really knew why the Queen had left, rumors circulating far and wide. New monsters stopped falling. Most assumed the humans had killed off any still on the surface, and some thought the King was keeping them all for himself. New Home was very much off limits, like the Ruins was. 

Within this Underground, monsters argued about the existence of other kinds of monsters. Something  _ other  _ than the overwhelming population that existed. In fact, they could believe that all monsters were skeletons, with that being the only kind of monster to have shown up, and the only one that lingers in their memory. Even those who lived through the War.

 

\---

 

He survived today, thank god. Reaper was too busy to “check up” on him during break, truly a blessing. He didn’t want to deal with his bullshit any more than he had to. He clocked out as soon as his shift was up, hurrying out the door before Reaper could come and bid him farewell. He checked his pack. Only three cigarettes left already? He groaned. Guess he’ll be passing by Dust and Killer’s today. Maybe they’d give him a discount again. 

He took his normal path down the streets, making his way through town to get to Dust and Killer’s little “Hut of Wonders.” It usually consisted of barely legal items, but they had some pretty good deals. He’d learned to be used to what he saw in there long ago. Lucky for him, it was in a small alleyway, so he didn’t have to worry about people staring.... A small chime rang as he entered. Dark and shady, just like normal. Only Dust was at the counter today, and he waved nonchalantly.

“Welcome back, lusty boy.” His shiteating grin was unmistakable even in the dim light.

“Oh fuck you too. You have any discounts for cigarettes today?” He pulled out a small bag of gold, tossing it in his hand. “I’m running out.”

“Already? Wooow, you really do have a problem. Heheh. Not that I can complain though. More money in my pocket.” He turned around, shuffling some objects around before pulling out a worn down box. “This was all I could find in the dump this time around, but since it looks like shit, I’ll give ya a discount sure. 4 gold.” Lust groaned audibly and Dust chuckled. Though, he was grateful. Even a discount by just 1 gold was lifesaving. 

He placed the gold on the table and took the pack, opening it up and looking inside. Most of them looked okay, though a few were bent and looked as if they had been soaked. Oh well. It’ll do.

Dust and Killer were the only two he could really think of as “friends.” If you could put it that way. He was just a regular, and as long as he paid, they’d be friendly. Close enough, he supposed. It’s the most positive interaction he gets, even if it was only once or twice a week.

Dust tapped the table, getting his attention. “You suuure you don’t wanna buy a severed human head-”

“Yes.” Lust deadpanning. Dust just broke out into laughter. He looked behind him, peering into the back room before looking back at him. Lust followed Dust’s gaze. “Where’s Killer today? I don’t think I’ve seen you actually do your job before, so this is suspicious to say the least.”

“He got ‘sick.’ Heheh. I may or may not have shoved some rotten human food down his throat while he was sleeping. Got the flu thanks to me. He’s probably swearing in his sleep.” He chuckled, raising his other hand from under the counter. It was covered in an odd black tar, probably from Killer. Lust just chuckled awkwardly, trying to not show his discomfort. These guys really were something… He popped another cigarette in his mouth and waved goodbye before walking out the door. 

The trek home was laborious and tiring. It really wasn’t worth it, but it was the only place he could afford that was close enough for him to walk to work. The worst thing was the people. The goddamn people. They watched him like vultures, mothers guarding kids, others keeping their distance. They really liked to make him feel singled out, huh? He sighed, trying to ignore the whispers as he walked home. The way they subtly looked over their shoulder at him, the way they tried to hide the fact that they were talking about him...  _ Was it really that obvious?  _ the voice in his mind echoed.  _ Did they know? _ He walked faster, his soul beating faster. He was having a little bit of trouble breathing, his hands clamming up. He wanted to be anywhere but  _ there _ .

After a painstaking few minutes, he passed the rest of the biggest of the crowds. Of course he decided to walk home during rush hour. He whacked himself in the head lightly, sitting on a bench nearby. He deserved at least a 5 minute break.  _ Fucking weakling, can’t even walk. _ He took a deep breath, trying to listen to the lava below. Instead, he heard some odd tapping from one side of him. He tried to ignore it, --  _ better not to get involved _ \-- but the sound increased over time, almost as if it were pounding at something, and he couldn’t bear it, looking over at the source.

_ Huh, I’ve never seen this guy around before. _

Apparently he hadn’t noticed the giant shop stand right next to him. Go figure. The source of the noise in question sat behind the stand, tapping his hand against the table in a rhythmic pattern. Jeez, that hole in his head. Probably hurt like hell… There were the words “Shop” written sloppily on a wooden sign underneath what he supposed was the “counter.” The skeleton just stared at him, that red eye giving him the chills. He looked absolutely psychotic. There was no way he was going to talk with him or even interact with him ever. Maybe next time he should take a different route home-

“Hey.” He spoke. He had an annoyed look on his face and Lust snapped out of his analysis. Whoops. Staring.  _ Shit, maybe he thought he was going to-  _ He shakily smiled, looking somewhere that wasn’t where he was.

He noticed the axe, which laid on the side of the stand. And he got an idea.

_ Maybe he was here to kill him _ Lust mused. He wasn’t against that. Maybe he’d finally be able to rest- 

“Come buy something.” The voice spoke again. Lust just walked in front of the stand almost robotically, his mind still wandering to the idea of being murdered on the street, right then and there. His eyes glossed over and he stared at the objects on the table, not really seeing them. His mind was too clouded.  _ Maybe this guy would kill him if he asked- no he didn’t want to put that burden on someone else- But that axe laying next to the stand- If he just chopped his head it would all be over-  _ The skeleton just looked at him incredulously.

“Uh… you like what you see?”

Lust just kept looking at that axe.  _ The sharp edge… this guy must keep it in good condition. Maybe if he just grabbed it-  _ Something snatched his wrist as it moved towards the axe and he snapped out of his thoughts. Oh. Right. The skeleton looked at him, an aggressive look in his eyes as he jerked Lust’s arm away from the axe.

“That’s off limits.” His smile was taught, forced. Lust just shook his head, his mind still a little foggy. 

“Sorry, sorry I wasn’t thinking.” He took a long drag out of his cigarette before looking down at all the objects. Now that he wasn’t as dazed as before, he was beginning to make out what was on the table… which was not entirely a good thing in this case. What the fuck…?

Frankly, everything looked like shit. Most of the stuff wasn’t even worth selling. He probably got it all from the dump. Most of it didn’t even look like items, just piles of sludge. He pointed at one of the sludge piles.

“Uh… what’s that?”

The skeleton laughed, low and soft. “Why don’t ya find out?”

… He poked it. It jiggled a little. 

“...I still have no idea what that is.” He squinted, trying to discern what its origin was.

“I’ll tell you if you give me… hm… I’ll be nice. 100 gold.”

Lust’s jaw dropped. Did he just say one hundred?! He couldn’t remember one moment when he actually was in possession of more than 30 gold at once. 

“100?! That’s more expensive than anything I’ve ever seen! A piece of junk like that is not worth 100 fucking gold.” He looked up at the skeleton, who just stared. His grin was unwavering. “If you’re gonna scam, at least make it look buyable.” 

The shopkeeper silently looked at him for a few more seconds before he just shrugged. “Well I need to get money somehow.” A nonchalant grin plastered on his face. Lust sighed, rubbing his head.

“Well, I guess I can relate. Have you not been able to land a job or something?” He wouldn’t be surprised. With a face like that, who would hire him?  
“No one’s gonna hire someone like me. I know that. ‘Sides, I’m not stayin’ long in this hell hole anyway. So I decided to be an entrepreneur.”

Funny way of putting it, weird psycho man.

He tapped his fingers on the counter again, a little softer this time. “Maybe come by tomorrow and I’ll have something better set up. Heheh.” Lust nodded slowly, not entirely wanting to come back. But… he was curious for some reason. This was something  _ different.  _ Something _ interesting _ . Unlike the rest of this godforsaken city. Heh. He took another drag of the cigarette in his mouth before realizing it was out. He spit it out and crushed it on the ground before looking at the skeleton’s stand. There was a little clear plastic cup on the table, probably a tip jar or something. Seeing how absolutely disgusting everything here was, he’d suppose the guy earned nothing today. He looked at his bag of gold, shaking it in his hand. He had about… 15 pieces left. He looked between the shopkeeper and his bag of gold.

Slowly, he pulled out a singular piece. “You probably haven’t eaten today, huh?”

The skeleton’s eyes widened a little before he slouched back down, maintaining his previous non-caring attitude. Though, his grin seemed a little wider. “Well maybe I haven’t. Maybe I have. Doesn’t really matter.” 

Lust placed the coin on the stand, sliding it towards him. “I know it isn’t much but… I know how it feels to be out of a job. There’s a restaurant down the street from here that sells meals for 1 gold. I go there a lot for takeout. Seeing how you look, they might even give it for free heheh.” He rubbed the back of his head, nervous as to how the odd skeleton would react. 

He just stared at the coin. It looked like he just won the lottery. He slowly grabbed it, putting it in his pocket. He looked up at him. “...Thanks.”

Lust gave an awkward thumbs up and turned around to walk away. As he left, though, the other spoke up. “...My name’s Horror. Just thought I’d let ya know.”

Lust turned around, a little shocked before responding. “Uh… I’m Lust. Nice to meet you… Horror.” He turned around again, and as he walked away, he didn’t even have to turn around to know that the skeleton’s eye was on him the whole time.

 

\---

He couldn’t imagine a time where he was ever comfortable with this condition of his. He just wanted it to  _ go away _ . But things don’t work like that, do they? Laying on his bed, he stared up at the ceiling, trying to count himself to sleep. He didn’t want to do anything, no matter how burning it felt. He’ll head to Grillby’s tomorrow, get his mind off of it. Taking one last drag of his cigarette, he put it out, simply laying the rest of it in the ashtray. He really needed to empty that out…


	2. If Only Time Could be More Merciful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lust gets to know Horror a little better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place over the course of a few weeks! I didn't want to have too much monotony, since within these weeks the routine is mostly the same.

The next morning he was up and on his way like usual. The back of his mind wondered what kind of weird shop that “Horror” guy would be manning this time around. He was still kind of… creepy though. He really should keep his distance… Nah. Fuck it. Anything to break the monotony. Plus, at this point death would be a plus. He chuckled a little to himself.  _ Gotta love suicidal jokes _ \- God he was so depressing. He entered through the employee door and got to work.

 

\---

  
As usual, another uneventful day. As blessed as he was to not have Reaper say hello in the morning, he did come in during lunch break. He felt a slight shiver run down his back, thinking about the creepy ass grin on Reaper’s face. He really wanted something didn’t he? _He knew exactly what he wanted._ He shook his head, walking on his way home. Choosing to take some more hidden back roads, he avoided most of the big groups. Less people to stare at him the better, he supposed.

He had almost completely forgotten about Horror until he walked passed the street and realized. A little few awkward chuckles after noticing his mistake later and he turned the corner, seeing the small rickety stand coming into view. As he was yesterday, Horror was sitting there, smug ass grin on his face. Jeez, what a creep…  _ Heh, better than Reaper. Anything is better than Reaper.  _ Horror was quick to see him approaching, his smile widening a little as he nonchalantly raised his hand in a “hello.” Lust did the same, taking a seat on the bench next to the stand and looking at him. Horror leaned back in his “chair,” which was more like a couple of old plastic boxes stacked on top of eachother. It looked like it would collapse at any moment, but Horror didn’t look so worried about that. He shot a grin to Lust and waved at the objects on his table.

“I decided to open a new shop. It’s called… A taste of Hell!” He laughed a little, bordering on something more psychotic. Lust laughed along, forcing it as much as possible. Man this guy was really a piece of work, wasn’t he? He leaned over, looking at the objects. It was the same piles of junk as before.

“Hey, aren’t those from yesterday? You’re just selling them with a different name, aren’t you.”

Horror made a little hand motion, feigning fear. “Oh noo officer you got me! Better take me down to the station!” A small chuckle, just a little more sane than before. It made him feel a little less like he was on the verge of being tortured and torn apart by this skeleton hobo. A few minutes of silence as he watched Horror look over the blobs on the table with a great amount of prec- the other slammed his hands against the stand, shooting a look to Lust. Lust was not expecting it, going into a fight or flight state as he leaned away, one of his legs ready to push him onto his feet if he needed to run. As Horror giggled more, he calmed down, glaring a little at him.

“Instead of it just being a little ornament on your mantle, you can taste it! Really get to know it, ya know?” He took a chunk off of one and leaned towards Lust, offering it. “I’ll offer you a free sample since you seem to be nice.”

Lust just grinned nervously, sweating visibly. Not wanting to anger him, he took the piece of garbage and observed it. 

“Uh…..”

Horror’s grin just widened. He wanted him to eat it. God, he was going to have to eat it. He looked at the glob. It looked like it was moving… He held back the urge to vomit, holding it up to his mouth. Just… a little… bite... 

He threw it on the ground, covering his mouth and gagging. Horror burst into unbridled laughter, his tower of boxes under him finally collapsing as he fell to the ground in giggles.

“Ahahaha- Oh my god, you were actually- AHAHAHA- Oh my sides- heheheh- You actually almost ate it hahahahahahaha-” He just continued to sputter similar jumbles of speech, rolling around on the rocks below, curing in on himself and rocking side to side. 

Lust stared in confusion. A moment of clarity gave him any info he needed.  _ He wasn’t actually expecting me to eat it. ...That bitch.  _ He stood up a little, grimacing down at the lump of laughter. It wasn’t venomous though. In fact it was bordering on a smile. A little prankster he was, huh? Was he even actually trying to earn money? Or was he just trying to pass the time?

After a few minutes of standing there, watching Horror devolve into a mess of breathless giggles, the skeleton finally managed to calm down to the point where he could talk.

“Heh… that’s definitely the highlight of my day… Definitely. By far.” He grabbed onto the side of the stand, hoisting himself up and restacking the boxes so he could sit. He grabbed one side of his head and jolted it quickly to one side of his body, a loud crack sounding as he began to readjust himself. “Well I’m pretty sure you’re not the type to buy this stuff by that reaction, so I won’t pester you about my prices.”

_ Jeez thank god-  _ He nodded and gave a half smile, checking his phone. Jeez, he was here for a lot longer than he thought. He needed at least a few rounds of drinks before he went to bed if he wanted to stay sane. 

“Sorry dude, I have to get home. Work starts early tomorrow, don’t wanna piss off the boss.”  _ Liar liar you’re a liar.  _ Horror almost looked disappointed, but he quickly covered it up with a grin.

“Alrighty. See ya. Maybe I’ll try something new tomorrow. See if I can actually get any sales, heh.” He twisted himself so he was no longer facing Lust. His hands twitched against the wood a little, and he looked down at the table a bit.

Lust took this as his cue to leave, getting off of the bench. As he was going to walk away he remembered. Pulling out his wallet, he dropped a single coin on Horror’s desk.

Horror and Lust made eye contact for a moment, and Lust took that sliver of time to flash a smile. “Make sure you feed yourself tonight, man.” 

 

“...Are… Are you coming back tomorrow?” Horror’s finger’s scraped against the wooden boards of the stand, digging into them.

Lust turned, almost surprised. A small pause, and he simply shrugged. “Yeah, why not?” 

At that, Horror relaxed, simply tapping his fingers rhythmically again. “See ya tomorrow then.”

“Yeah, see you then.” 

 

\---

 

Lust lumbered home, stumbling against wall after wall as he made his way to his apartment. Man he was hammered as fuck; thank god he didn’t miss happy hour. He got kicked out for getting to… rowdy with the other customers. He slid a hand down his drunken face. That was definitely going to be stain on his reputation. At least whatever he did now he wouldn’t remember tomorrow. That means he could take care of his  _ problem  _ without feeling disgusting… Well.. as long as he cleaned it up. Unlocking his door, he slapped himself against the doorframe and groaned a little. Fuck, he really needed to watch his drinking limit…

Nah.

 

\---

 

Lust began to drop by Horror’s little shop after work every day. Whether it was for a few minutes, or a few hours, he always left feeling a little better. Weird new names for his business popped up every day. He always seemed to have something up his sleeve. Some of them managed to gain some money, surprisingly enough. Whether it’d be a ridiculous garbage throwing competition or the small chance when he actually had decent items to sell.

As crazy as this weird shopkeeper was, he warmed up to the skeleton over time. One thing never changed though. He never moved locations, never changed his store’s layout. It didn’t seem Horror was really anywhere else BUT his shop. Well, that and the dump, he supposed. Where else was he getting all that garbage?

 

“And that’s my story of how I became a pirate of the seven seas!” Horror said, holding up a small metal hook. The kid in front of him simply gasped, jumping around holding onto his parent’s hand, tugging it excitedly. 

“Dad dad wasn’t that coool??”

The parent in question just huffed a little, but there was a smile on his face. He took out a few gold coins and dropped them onto Horror’s stand. Horror bowed dramatically, earning a few claps from the kid. As the pair walked away, Lust chuckled a little.

Today’s theme was pirates, it seemed. He received payment in exchange for stories of his mystical adventures. And… fortunetelling. For some reason. He didn’t bother to ask why. When Lust arrived, Horror had a small costume prepared. By that, he meant a small bandana was shoved onto his head and he was, from then on, referred to as “scallywag.”

“Great story,  _ Captain _ . At this rate you’ll be able to buy yourself a whole ship!” Lust remarked sarcastically, motioning at the cup of gold. Horror shook the small plastic cup on his stand. There was a lot more in there than there was the other days. About 10G in total he estimated.

“Argh, you be right scallywag.” Horror couldn’t hold in his laughter at his own ridiculous words, falling onto the desk and cackling. At least he was enjoying himself.

Lust just smiled, looking down at his phone. Seems traffic was starting to slow down. Doesn’t seem like anyone else would be coming by today. He checked his feed on the undernet robotically before something caught his eye. Grillby’s would be open early today, huh? He looked up at Horror, who just watched like a curious cat.

“The bar I frequent is open early today. Wanna catch a drink with me? We can also grab some food while we’re there too. I’m pretty buddy buddy with that guy, so he won’t be too freaked out by that head wound of yours.” He made a motion, pointing to the hole in Horror’s head. Horror just chuckled.

“Heheh, you don’t have to worry about that. I’m used to the odd looks at this point. Even in my timeline they were like that.” He waved his hand, grinning. “But yeah sure, that sounds like fun.”

Lust had a bit of a confused expression of his face, but didn’t speak up about it. Maybe he misheard…

 

The two walked into Grillby’s, greeted by music from the jukebox in the corner. Some of the patrons turned and waved at Lust. Some gave a little bit of a confused look at his new friend, but he didn’t worry too much. They sat at the front, Lust waving over the bartender.

Classic was already there by the time they sat down, sliding over Lust’s regular order before he even had to ask. A tall shot of hard liquor and a small sandwich. Lust shot a finger gun at Classic, before looking at Horror.

“What do you want buddy?”

Horror looked at the menu in front of him, considering his options. “I’ll take a hot cat, extra ketchup. And… uh… just give me a glass of water.”

“Sure thing buddy,” Classic replied, simply walking to the back to prep the food.

Lust twisted himself in his chair so he faced Horror. Horror looked at him, resting his arms on the bar.

“How was work today, Lust?” Lust turned away his smile stiffening. Reaper had tried more than a few times to make advances on him today. Not entirely his cup of tea. But, Horror didn’t need to know that. No one did.

“Oh. It was the same as always. No biggie. Just work.” 

Shit. Horror looked skeptical, but he didn’t comment on it, just giving Lust a look. Lust sweat a little, laughing off the awkward silence. “You know how bitchy people can be, yeah? Heheh…”

“Where do you work?” Horror stared, genuine curiosity on his face. Lust gulped internally, rubbing the back of his head. Shit, he was sweating.

“Well… you know that resort that Reaper owns? I… uh. I work there. In the merchandise and fast food shop. Wait- I’m not supposed to call it fast food. I have to call it ‘fabulous meals’ or something...” He made sure the last part sounded as condescending as possible. Horror chuckled.

“Oh yeah I know that place. Maybe I should pay a visi-”

“No!” He was quick to answer. Too quick. He rubbed his hands together. “I... mean… uh… I’m not allowed… to talk to the customers unless they buy something! And everything there is  _ super _ expensive. Trust me.” Man was it hot in here or was it just him? Horror just stared, a mixed expression on his face. Classic came back, placing the plates of food on the bar. 

“Cold Burg and Hot Cat for ya both. Enjoy.” He began to wash some glasses in the sink in front of him. “So who’s your new friend, Lust?”

“Oh. You ever walk down that one street in Hotland? He has a little ‘shop’ there.” He motioned air quotes as he said shop. Horror snickered. “I just happened to walk past him every day, and we started talking more.”

Classic nodded, his eyes shifting to the very noticeable hole in Horror’s head. He made a motion to point at it, but Horror was already one step ahead of him.

“It was an accident. Don’t bother asking about it.”

Classic shut his mouth, grinning. “Sure thing, buddy.”

The rest of the meal went rather uneventful. They talked about hobbies, dislikes, shops. Classic mostly hung around them, only going away when he was called by another customer. During one of those moments, Horror took the chance to ask Lust something that was on his mind.

“You don’t like your workplace, do you?”

Lust sighed, looking at his sandwich. “Yeah. It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it. It’s my only source of income. Otherwise I’d probably be doing what you do, heh.”  _ Knowing me though, I’d probably be much more shameless in my methods of acquiring gold…  _ He shuddered at the thought. He never wanted to stoop that low.

“What do you hate so much about it?”  
“...” Lust couldn’t answer that, taking another shot of alcohol.

 

**_“If you tell ANYONE about our little exchanges, I’ll make sure you’ll live the rest of your life in unimaginable poverty. Is that clear, honey?”_ **

 

He took a shuddered breath and smiled at Horror. “Oh you know, just the normal work stuff. Bad managers, mean customers, terrible working conditions…”  _ Sexual assault,  _ he added mentally. Seemed Horror took that as an acceptable answer, letting it slide for now. The rest of their meal carried on, lighthearted discussions returning as soon as Classic came back. Seemed he wasn’t the only punner here, as Horror returned quite a few of his own jokes. 

They both left around 10, a little tipsy, but not enough to get into any real trouble once morning came around. The food was discounted to about 5G each, the original 15G bill daunting them both. Horror offered to pay for it all. He refused, but was thankful for the offer. Horror deserved to at least start saving something. He deserved it.

“Man, that was so fucking fun…” Lust had an arm around Horror’s neck, blushing a little more than usual. Even Horror had a little bit of a fevered look, though he drank considerably less than Lust. As they walked past Horror’s stand, Horror made a move to let go, but Lust just held on tighter.

“You don’t have a place to go to sleep, do you?”

Horror looked to the side. “It’ll be fine. Wood’s more comfy than you think, heh.”

“Nahhh man, come stay with me. I’ve got a couch you can crash on.”

“Heh, I think you drank too much…”

“Nooooo I did not! I’m just a little buzzed! You haven’t seen me drunk, palio!” He chuckled, patting Horror’s shoulder. Horror returned the laugh, his face heating a little more.

“Ok ok, I’ll walk you home, but I’m not gonna sleep over with ya. Gotta protect my stuff.”

“You don’t have stuff to protect! Stttupid! No one’s gonna steal a wooden shack!” His words slurred a little as he proclaimed this, shaking Horror a bit.

Horror closed his eyes a bit as they walked down the road. Lust shakily pointed at a corner and they turned down that street. At the end of the road they met a run down little apartment building, some windows boarded up while others were nothing but splinters in the walls. Lust got his key out and unlocked his door, second floor, first one on the right. He stumbled in, Horror catching him before he could fall. If this was how he was tipsy, who knew what he’d be like drunk. He closed the door quietly, moving to sit on the couch after finding the light switch. Lust almost dove onto his bed, not even taking the time to pull the covers over him. Immediately a soft snore sounded. Heh. Idiot.

Horror looked around the room. A very small apartment, from what he had noticed. Everything was contained within a singular 12x12 room. There was a small room in the corner, probably a closet, and the kitchen took up only 2 square feet in total. Miserable, for sure, but it sufficed for basic needs. He noticed a lot of posters up on the walls, some depicting odd shop ads, like the “Hut of Wonders.” Wonder what kind of place that was. 

There was one, that he noticed, that showed Lust’s workplace, showing an opening ceremony event that took place a year or so back. The skeleton on the front must have been Reaper, though there was a piece of paper taped over the face. A small photo was tacked on the side of it, though it looked like it had been pieced together after being ripped apart several times. It was a picture of Lust, taken in front of some sort of theatre. He looked a lot younger than he did now, shorter too. He was dressed a little less modestly, striking a dramatic pose with some other skeletons, though their faces had been blacked out with some sort of marker. Though a little unsettling, he mostly just felt sad, looking at Lust’s smiling face. He looked so genuinely happy, not like how he smiled now, looking as if he had forgotten how to.

As tempted as he was, he didn’t want to invade Lust’s privacy more than he already had, so he opted to lay on the couch, closing his eyes.

 

\---

 

He opened his eyes slowly, hearing a rhythmic thumping. Lust was pacing around, hand on his head and sweating terribly. When he saw Horror looking at im he bolted to him.

“God I’m so sorry did I do anything- I’m so sorry-”

“Huh? Nah, you just passed out the second we got here. Heh. Nice place you got, by the way.”

Lust just stood for a moment, processing what he said before relaxing considerably. “Oh thank the stars-” He dragged a hand down his face, walking over to the kitchen and pacing a few more times before shaking himself a little, turning back to Horror and smiling a little. 

“Heh… Glad it’s up to your standards  _ Sir _ .” He chuckled a little tiredly, trying to shake off whatever nervousness had been left in his voice, before rubbing his head. Stupid hangovers.

He had woken up early this morning, the clock only reading about 5 in the morning. They had some time to relax before he had to run off to work. He checked the fridge, turning to Horror.

“Want anything?”

Horror clicked his teeth. “Hmm… you got any hot dogs?”

“Isn’t that what you had at the bar yesterday too?”  
“Hey don’t judge my food preferences.”

“Alright alright I’ll check.” His face sunk as soon as he looked in the fridge. There was an entire gallon of whiskey and some half empty bags of chips. That was it. 

He quickly closed the fridge, opening the cabinets.  _ I swear that cereal has been there since I moved in. _ He shrugged, pulling it out. “I don’t have anything except for this, sorry. I’m not much of a cook, as you can tell.” Horror waved his hand.

“Ah don’t worry about it, I’ll find something later today. I’m used to not eating.” Lust sighed. It was for the best anyway that he didn’t eat any of the food in here. Most of it would probably poison him anyway. He poured himself a bowl regardless, shoveling stale flakes into his mouth with a plastic spoon. He didn’t even have milk.

“Hey, Lust.” Lust looked up from his bowl.

“What?”

“Thanks for… letting me crash for the night.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah sure. I don’t know why I did that… I could’ve-” He whacked his head a few times, sighing. “Fucking- I just don’t want to get you hurt man. You don’t need the hell I’ve got stacked on me.”

Horror just turned his head a little to one side. “Well, I’m pretty tolerant of pain nowadays. My skull’s gotten pretty thick, heh.” He knocked the side of his head, a dull noise echoing from inside his skull. “If you don’t want me around here, don’t worry ‘bout it.”

“No! That’s not what I-” He groaned. “I just need to… weigh my options here.” He rubbed at his forehead. What should he do? The guy really needed a place to stay from what he saw.  _ But what if-  _ He shook his head. He could deal with that when it happened. He survived it once, he can survive it again.  _ Barely… fucking disgusting pig.  _ Horror was looking at him, he noticed. Shit he hadn’t responded with an answer huh? He cleared his “throat,” straightening himself out.

“Well… if you really need a place to stay, my apartment is open to you. I just need to warn you about…”  _ myself, my habits, my disgusting behavior-  _ “some stuff in this area of the neighorhood. Can be pretty dangerous, yeah? Just, keep your eye sockets open.”  _ Filthy, you don’t even have the decency to tell him why it’s so dangerous. Is this your way of taking advantage of him?  _ He scratched at his wrist a little, hiding it from Horror’s view and looked at the time. Great. Time to get to work. He waved Horror over to him as he exited the apartment, and they began to walk down the sidewalk together.

When he finally bid Horror farewell as they walked past his little shack, he left with a little more energy in his step. He was almost… excited? To see Horror again after work. Heh. How dumb is that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that was a fun way to tie off this chapter! The chapters will likely become a little shorter as events will start happening more quickly while things fall into place.  
> Please send a comment if you liked it! (Comment begging is shameless I know but i really enjoy reading them and it gives me motivation in my cold dead heart-)


	3. The Ball Starts to Roll

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lust has a bad day, and Horror gets the spotlight for once!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Implied Sexual Abuse, Self Harm
> 
> This chapter starts off hard, sorry.

“You look more awake than usual, Lust~ Any difference in yesterday’s sleep?  _ Did you do anything fun? _ ” 

Lust turned to Reaper as he ate a sandwich, glaring. He at least had the decency to swallow before speaking. “No. I just got lucky.” He spat, looking back down at his lunch. The longer he talked to Reaper, the less appetizing the meal looked. 

“Lucky? Well, call me lucky today then!” Reaper leaned forward over the table, looking directly at Lust. Lust had to resist the urge to pull back, holding his ground. “You know, I’m in a good mood today. If you… heheh  _ mess around _ with me a bit today after work, I’ll give you… hm… 100 G!”

“What am I now, a prostitute?” Lust looked down. He really needed the money… Dammit. Reaper simply leaned closer.

“Hey hey hey it’s a win win situation! You get some money, I get my fun!” He nudged Lust a little. He tried to ignore the burning sensation he was getting.  _ He needed to stop thinking about it-  _ “I know you’ll like it~ I can tell you haven’t done  _ anything  _ since last month. You really need to get out more often!”

“I have my life you have yours, Reaper,” he spat out quietly, taking another bite of his sandwich. It was starting to taste like a soggy malt. Eugh. “I’m not doing it.”

Reaper feigned sadness, an over dramatic pout on his face as he leaned back in faux disgust. “I am offended, my word! The almighty Lust doesn’t want to fuck me? Now that really is an insult! I mean your name is Lust for stars sake!” He laughed, once again leaning over the table. This time he took a more aggressive approach, grabbing the sandwich from Lust and placing it softly on the plate.

“Alright I’ll change my offer then. You get me off here and now and I won’t fire you.”

Lust’s eyes widened. No- he was pulling that again- No god not again- He could only sit still as Reaper got up, taking a seat next to Lust on his side of the table. He felt a hand crawl up the side of his leg and he took a shaky breath. Reaper was looking at him expectantly… no not expectantly. He  _ knew  _ he had won. It was a look of mischievous triumph. He squeezed his eyes shut, letting his lust overtake him. At least this way, he could try and convince himself that it was nothing but a terrible dream… 

\---

Reaper let him take the rest of the day off thanks to his “gracious actions.” He really needed a drink. God, he really did. He just tried to inhale as much cigarette smoke as possible. Too bad skeletons couldn’t get lung cancer. As he walked out, he checked the clock. Guess it really wasn’t the rest of the day off. He must have lost track of time… with all that- 

He shook his head.  _ Think about something else _ . Right! Horror wanted to show off what new shop he had created. He took another long drag of the cigarette and headed down the road. He didn’t get the full 100 G that Reaper had originally offered, since he refused the first time around. But he did get a hefty 50 G. Most of that’s going to go to drinking money, he reasonably deducted. Especially with  _ that  _ replaying in the back of his head. He squeezed his eyes again, trying to dispel the oncoming headache. 

“Heh. Heya Lust- woah you okay?” His normal nonchalant behavior was interrupted by a look of worry. Lust was hunched over, almost curled in on himself, pretty much inhaling his whole cigarette. He immediately straightened up. Shit, he didn’t realize he was here already. His face just twisted into something akin to a smile. Horror didn’t look reassured.

“Just a bad day at work.” Was all he answered.  _ He couldn’t know.  _

“...Alright. Well, maybe today’s product may interest you then.” He tapped at the wooden counter, bringing Lust’s attention to some scraps of metal. Lust chuffed a little, leaning in to get a better look.

“And what the fuck are these?”

“They’re magical-” He waved his arms in a mysterious way. “-trinkets that give you good luck.” Lust couldn’t help but smirk a little, picking one up.

“Is this just how you found them, or did you actually bend them into these shapes.”

“Heheheh. Well, unlike all my other products, this one yes I did take some creative liberties on. Well, one of them at least.” He picked up one of the trinkets. It was crudely bent into a small swirl, rusty and cracked in some parts.

“Huh. Not bad for a first try I’d say. How much is it?”

“Well, you see, it’s an original. 500 G seems like a fair deal.”

Lust did a double take before he rested his gaze on Horror, squinting a little. “I swear to the fucking stars are you even trying to actually sell things?”

Horror just laughed, placing the trinket on the counter again. Lust didn’t look so invested anymore though, his eyes glazed over as he looked through him. Horror waved his hand in front of Lust’s face, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“Are you… sure you’re okay?” He asked, leaning over his counter a little to get a better look at Lust. He really looked tired.

“Yeah I’m… yeah.” He waved his hand a little, giving a small smile. “... I think I’m going to leave early today. I have some chores to finish back at my apartment.”

“Oh I can help if you want-”

“No! No- uh… they’re uh… secret chores? …” He slouched, letting out some air before looking at Horror. “You can drop by later today, but I just want to be alone for a bit. Sorry.” Without letting Horror respond, he trudged away. Horror just tapped on his counter, increasing the pace every time he saw Lust stumble a little. It didn’t take him long to realize Lust wasn’t headed home.

 

\---

 

Lust stared at his wrists, one starting to leak marrow. Seems he scratched a little too hard. He’s going to need bandages for that… He sighed, stepping into Dust and Killer’s shop. The little bell rung as it usually did, and this time both of them were at the counter.

“Hey what do you know! Lusty boy’s back!” Dust said, waving his hand and smirking.

Killer sighed, moving to the back before returning with a pack of cigarettes once Lust approached the counter. “Thought you might want some. Doesn’t look like your day’s going very good. Heh.”

Lust scratched at his wrist again, forcing a laugh to cover up his wince at reopening the wound. “Haha- yup. Definitely not my day. By chance you guys have any spare bandages I can borrow?”

“You get into a fight or something? You don’t look too beat up.” 

“Well, if you count myself as two people, then yes.” He chuckled a little and Dust reciprocated. Killer just stared a little at the leaking marrow from his wrist.

There was some shuffling under the counter before Dust pulled out a small first aid kit. “Since I’m feelin’ nice, I’ll give you it for free, but you’re still paying for that cigarette pack buddy, heheh.” He tore off some medical bandage and handed it over.

“Of course. I’m not that much of a cheapskate,” he retorted, pulling out his wallet and dropping 5 coins on the counter. He quickly taped shut the scrape on his wrist. He winced as some gravel must have gotten stuck in the wound, not bothering to clean it. He pocketed the cigarettes before leaning back, taking a big breath.

Minus a few jokes passed between the three, Lust exited the shop without much of a mood change, lighting another cigarette. He couldn’t keep the look Killer gave him out of his mind.

 

_ “Stay safe, Lust.” _

 

He almost looked worried. Heh. He probably shouldn’t, it’s none of his business. Its no one’s business but his own… Well, might as well head to his next favorite spot. Classic’s Bar. The second he entered the building, Classic sighed and waved a little. It had been a slow day, so seeing Lust was both a relief and extremely worrying. Whenever he came this early, he always left absolutely hammered. Not even the other regulars would talk to him during these days.

“Heya, Lust. What brings you here this time?”

Lust waved his hand, holding up a single finger. Classic promptly brought over a shot of liquor, chuckling slightly.

“Bad day at work?” He tried again, leaning forward this time. Lust just nodded, downing the shot quickly. After these many months of having Lust as a regular, he learned an interesting fact about him. The more upset he was, the less he talked. So, he just huffed a little, filling up Lust’s next shot.

\---

 

Horror was undoubtedly worried as the day dragged on. Wanting to check up on Lust, he closed up shop early, walking to the apartment complex he had stayed at the day before. After knocking on Lust’s apartment door a few times, he asked around the complex to find that Lust had, as he suspected, not returned as of yet. He rubbed at the cracks around the hole in his head, grumbling. This didn’t help his rising anxiety. Yup. He pulled his hand away from the hole in his head to look at them, bloodstained. He simply wiped if off onto his jacket and continued walking.

Some time of asking around later, Horror finally arrived at Classic’s Bar. He looked up at the neon sign, scratching his face. He had been hunting around for about an hour now. Seems the people around here didn’t like him very much. Understandable. He had some guards stop him a few times, either to ask him about the hole in his head or the huge axe he had decided to drag along with him. What could he say, it was his trademark weapon. Lust was an ill received topic as well, most choosing to answer tersely before walking away as fast as they possibly could.

He walked into the bar, being welcomed with a mostly empty establishment. Classic was up at the bar like he was last time, cleaning a few glasses. Lust was nowhere to be seen. Great. The skeleton at the bar looked up from his work in a silent hello. Horror sat down at the bar. There were only a few other people there, and most of them looked so drunk off of their asses that they probably didn’t even know he had walked in.

“You looking for Lust?”

Horror just nodded, tapping his fingers on the bar counter. 

Classic nodded a little, putting away some glasses and sliding Horror one filled with water. “He left a while ago, sorry to say. I didn’t know where he was headed, but he walked out before I could ask him.” One look on Horror’s face told him what he needed to know. “It’s okay, he does this all the time. He’ll be fine.” He pat Horror’s shoulder before resuming his cleaning. “Trust me, okay?”

“...Heh.” He looked to the side, not entirely convinced. “Alright.”

They spent some time chatting, considering he was the only sober person in the bar. Horror learned about how Classic had kept this bar open for quite some time now, even before the Queen ran off. He told stories about the King when he used to walk around Hotland, back before he shut himself in his castle. It seemed the King of this underground was quite… rude. They called him “Error.” What a weird name for a king. Apparently he was notorious for talking to himself and making wild accusations with no logical basis or evidence. 

Another hotspot of gossip was the biggest star of the Underground, Reaper, who was a self proclaimed god of the dead. His biggest “acts” when he was first starting off were, in fact, raising the “dead.” Like some weird necromancer. Guess he really profited off of his name. Now he dabbles in just about everything. Magic tricks, plays, movies, merchandise. Rumors flew far and wide about things he did. Scandals, money tricks, but he didn’t mind. In fact he reveled in it. Jeez, talk about an attention whore.

“You want to hear the craziest thing? I know you’ve probably heard this story a million times by now, but it’s always a real hit with the locals. The Disappearance.”

“Hm? I’ve actually never heard of it before.”  
Classic turned his head a little, confused, before going back to his usual demeanor. “Surprising! You must be out of the loop. Oh you’re gonna get chills.” He leaned forward as if telling a secret, looking left and right mischievously. “It’s a thing that happened about 5-6 years ago. In a period of about a month, monsters from all walks of life and ages started disappearing without a trace. No one knows what happened, but the body count was about 70 monsters in total.”

“That many? And not even a trace of dust, huh?”

“Nope. The orphanage down in Snowdin got hit pretty hard, too. All but one child was taken. Pretty spooky, huh?” Classic said, squeezing the wash rash of water before letting the water run over the glass he was cleaning.

“Yeah, definitely not the kind of thing you’d want to happen to you.” He swirled around his drink, watching the ice clink around. It was still water, of course. He wasn’t going to pay for anything. He wasn’t afraid to be cheap. He shook his glass a little more vigorously, the ice hitting the sides harder and louder. He placed it back down, pushing it towards Classic.

“Well, thanks for the talk, and the drink. I think I’m going to head out now.”  
“Any time, man. It’s good to know Lust has a good friend to take care of him.”

Horror picked up his axe before walking off. His free hand went up to clutch at his eye socket. At least Lust was probably home now. Hopefully he made it safe. After settling down at his shack, he began tapping his fingers again, trying to ground himself. This lasted for a few hours before his eye sockets finally fluttered closed and he fell into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos are always appreciated! (i say this every time and i apologize)  
> The next chapter might take a little longer to come out, considering I'm out of the buffer material I wrote before even publishing the first chapter.


	4. Time Will Tell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lust experiences a slightly average day at work, followed by no-good things. At least Horror is there for him. Kind of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You thought I was dead? Well, I am. But here's a chapter- It was supposed to be more fluffy but uh... that didn't happen. Maybe next chapter (hint: thats a lie).
> 
> TW: Sexual Harassment

Lust opened his eyes, the unfocused eyelights wandering around his apartment. He faintly heard an alarm going off and pushed himself to a sitting position. Headaches, dizziness, he could just list off all the symptoms he was feeling. Fucking hangovers. He pat his hand on the floor… the floor. He slept on the floor, again. Great. His neck was going to thank him for that later, for sure.

His eyes snapped opened. Alarm. Work. Right. He got up quickly before stumbling against the closest wall. This was going to be a hellish nightmare of a day, wasn’t it? He went to his cabinet and tossed some painkillers in his mouth and chugging some water before turning to his clock on the counter. Shit.

He was out the door within seconds, turning a corner and nearly bumping into a few people. He didn’t care. He didn’t want to be late. That was the worst thing that could happen to him. He could get thrown into more torturous work _ ,  _ work more hours _ , become reaper’s full-time sex slave-  _ He shook his head, anxiety building up. His brisk walking speed turned into a jog and then a full sprint.

He quickly passed by Horror’s shack and waved with an apologetic grin before resuming his fast-paced run. After making it to the front of the resort he finally slowed himself to a walk. His face turned up to the roof of the cave, to the stalactites that hung above. He took a few moments to stare, his breathing ragged. As he walked, the ceiling was slowly obscured by the roof overhead. He unlocked the door, sliding inside.

Luckily he wasn’t late. In fact, he made it just shy of 2 minutes early. He sat himself down to catch his breath, his head throbbing from the exertion and the hangover. His eyes spotted for a moment and he blinked a few times before it slowly receded. Phew. That was… not fun. And what was next to come would be equally not-fun.

He slowly pushed himself up to his feet again, twirling his ankles to test for any sprains or pains. Luckily he was just a little sore. He steadied his hat and his clothing and clocked in, moving to his usual spot behind the counter.

After yesterday’s endeavors he was feeling a little better. The alcohol really helped cleanse his system, as ironic as that sounded. His usual lust-filled impulses were much more manageable thanks to events that he’s glad he doesn’t remember. Despite all of this, his expression carried that of pain. 

He placed a hand in his pocket, only to quickly pull it out and pat the pocket in question. His cigarette pack. He forgot to bring it with him. He slumped against the counter, groaning in disbelief. His one true solace, gone.

As if a magical whistle had just been blown, Reaper came into view, waltzing right over to him with a wide grin on his face.

“Nice to see you again!” he said, flirtatious as always. Lust slowly lifted his head to look at him before slamming it against the counter again.

“Ugh…” he straightened himself out, looking at Reaper eye-to-eye. Reaper nodded his head in approval before leaning forward, his hand gripping Lust’s chin. Lust, of course, backed up, pulling his head away as Reaper’s head leaned forward. Reaper sighed.

“Aw~ Come on...”

“I’m supposed to be working,” he said, plainly. Not a direct show of disobedience. Simply stating facts. Reaper tilted his head.

“You? Wanting to  _ work _ ? That’s funny!” Reaper chuckled a bit, emphasizing his words. He suddenly lunged forward and grasped Lust’s chin, pulling him forward and earning a small surprised yell from him. “You work for me, Lust. I make the rules around here.”

After a few seconds of staring, he finally let Lust go, winking and walking off with a wave. “Well, I’ll see you at lunch then! We open in five minutes, so at least scrub the counter or something.”

Lust sighed exasperatedly, already feeling the effects of the hangover on his mood. Reaper always made things worse.

He grit his teeth, looking at the clock. Five minutes until opening time, huh? He pulled out a rag, putting it under the running water before slamming it against the counter, wiping it down aggressively. And then immediately regret it as his arm began to cramp up.

 

\--

 

Being the only worker in his department was both a relief and a nightmare. No one barking at him or making him do work for the both of them, but also no one to witness and maybe even put a stop to… well. He shook his head as he mopped the floor in front of the shop. The floors of the RTT Resort were always filthy. No one ever bothered to wipe their shoes. 

He grimaced as the mop slid over more gravel. He tried again and again, but the mop never picked up all of it. After a few moments of feverish mopping, he gave up, dropping the mop back in its bucket. The resort was empty around this time of day, in between morning and lunch-time was always relatively quiet. Thank god for that; his hangover was beginning to grate on his patience.

 

\--

 

He ran between the kitchen and the front counter, frantically trying to finish orders in a timely fashion. As he scurried back to the kitchen, he nearly tripped, catching himself on the side of the counter, mere inches away from the hot stove. He sweat, really wishing he had a smoke right now.

 

\--

 

He rubbed his forehead as he finally clocked out. Reaper made him stay an extra two hours past his original shift to help set up his “super mega awesome celebrity” party. It also gave him an extra excuse to harass him. A lot. He took a shaky breath at the thought as he recalled Reaper practically pinning him against one of the walls when he was trying to hang a streamer.

Before he could step outside of the workplace like he really,  _ really _ wanted to, Reaper stepped in front of the door, with his signature, ugly smile.

“Thank you for setting up the party for me, lovely,” he said, in an almost mocking tone. His smile widened just a little. “Honestly, I’d love to bring you to it. My treat.”

Lust mumbled, barely audible. “Yeahwhatever…”

Reaper sighed, walking towards him. Lust froze up instinctively, resisting the urge to back up. He seemed to glance over him, trailing his eyes uncomfortably slow. 

“You look so… dead, heheh. Maybe I could, ahem, work my  _ magic _ on you?” He grinned, reaching an arm out. “After all, you’ve seen my tricks. In fact, you’ve had  _ quite a helping of them _ , haven’t you? I’m practically spoiling you.” His fingers trailed down Lust’s arm.

Lust stood, frozen. His body had gone stiff as a board. He laughed, nervously. “How about uh, you just… um… let me… leave? I mean… I uh already finished- all of that work… and uh… I’ve already clocked out so I’m not on work time and...” He shifted very slightly, trying to side-step Reaper. He eyed the door.

“Oh but darling… you look so… tasty today,” he covered his mouth, something glowing emerging slightly from it, and laughed. It echoed against the tiled floor and the plaster walls. Emptily.

Lust held back the urge to throw up. Disgusting. Absolutely horrendous. It took everything in his power to not cover his mouth and gag. He quickly shoved past Reaper, his entire body shivering as he even grazed him.

And Reaper watched. Like a hungry eagle. His eyes trailing him even as he slammed the employee door behind him.

 

And Lust ran. He ran as fast as he could. His face was burning. Even the slightly cooler temperatures of nighttime Hotland wasn’t helping.

Reaper had already had his fill yesterday. Why was he trying to get more?! Did he suddenly decide that his lowly worker was now even more fuckable than before? The questions buzzed around in his mind, events from yesterday beginning to play through his mind again. His cheeks flushed as his body betrayed his own horror. 

He stopped running. He leaned over the side of Hotland’s bridges. 

And he threw up.

He stared into the bubbling lava below him, his eyes hazed and his mind simply playing through the memory. He didn’t dare shut his eyes. He had been so preoccupied with not closing his eyes, in fact, that he didn’t even notice someone shuffling up beside him.

“Eheheh.”

Lust jumped away, choking on air. He hadn’t even heard them. He watched with wary eyes.

“The lava’s pretty, isn’t it?” the other said, turning to look at him. His sockets empty, but his expression soft. Lust took a few deep breaths before looking back down.

“...It makes everything so…,” He tugged at his work uniform a little, “hot though.”

The other turned his head to the side a little. “You were staring at it for quite a while, though. There must be something you like about it, yes?”

Lust turned, confused. This… random skeleton had just… walked up to him and- wait a second. He squinted at the skeleton’s clothing, more specifically the poncho he had. It seemed to have changed colors while he wasn’t looking, now resembling the colors of his work uniform. As his focus shifted back to the other’s face, he jumped back, now seeing eyelights staring back at him. He laughed, nervously. Very nervously.

“You seem so sad. That’s not very good. Please don’t be sad,” the other said, looking at him sympathetically? Lust wasn’t so sure.

“I uh… that’s kind of impossible, heheh.” Lust looked back over the edge again, leaning against the metal railing. The other skeleton doing the same. They both stared over the edge for quite some time.

“Maybe you should talk to that new friend of yours, then.”

Lust turned, quickly. How did he-

The other was gone.

He stood there, dumbfounded for a few moments before scratching his head. Whoever that was, whatever just happened, it obviously  _ must _ have been real. There was no way something like the Hotland heat or his own mental instability or the panic attack he just went through- okay maybe he hallucinated. He knocked at his own skull for a few moments, groaning.

At least he felt… less nauseated. Maybe talking to Horror  _ was _ a good idea. He brushed off his work uniform before realizing that he never took off his nametag. His cheeks flushed a little more as he unpinned it from his shirt and shoved it in his pocket. He didn’t want Horror knowing where he worked. That would put both of them in danger.

And so he walked down to the main road, making his way to Horror’s shop. The crowds were thinning out. Seems he had spent a lot of time at that bridge if it was late enough for the monsters to be heading home. His hands shook. He really needed a cigarette right now. But his pack was at home… and he had no pocket change to spare to buy another one. So he shoved his hands in his pockets and sucked it up, anxiously. Sweat rolled down his forehead. Though whether that was because of the withdrawl or the Hotland heat was a toss-up.

He turned his head up to the rocks above, counting the cracks in the ceiling. He nearly passed by Horror’s station if it weren’t for the distinct clearing of “throat.”

Lust jumped slightly, before looking down to Horror. He laughed, scratching the back of his head and moving to sit behind the counter with him. Their usual setup at this point. Horror even made him a (slightly shorter) stool for him to sit on.

“You’re a little later than usual, buddy. What was the holdup?” He asked, pushing around some round pieces of scrap metal on the table. Apparently the theme today was “ancient coins.”

“Just work. My boss kept me an extra few hours to help set up something.” He used his nail to trail the grooves in the rotten wood counter, amused with the pattern.

“Yeah I getcha. After all,  _ my _ boss  _ also _ keeps me working late hours too.”

Lust snorted softly. “Horror, you are your own boss.”

The two laughed as Horror began to scrape the metal pieces into a plastic water bottle. Closing up shop. He slapped a piece of paper with “CLOSED” written on it lightly in pencil onto the headboard of the stand. Lust leaned against the counter, sighing tiredly. He lightly scraped his fingers against the wood, listening to the noise it made.

The two continued to banter, light chuckles and exaggerated movements left both of them in stitches. They entered a comfortable silence, lust leaning forward, just watching the last of the stragglers enter their homes. Horror was busy staring at Lust, frowning slightly. He began tapping his fingers on the counter, getting Lust’s attention.

Horror opened his mouth slowly. “So… drinking, huh?”

Lust turned to him, confused, before chuckling a little. “I uh… yeah? We went out for drinks the other week.”

“No I mean… you. Drinking. Alone. A lot.” He tapped a little faster, his other hand scratching below his eye socket a little.

Lust shuffled awkwardly, propping his head up with his hand. “I have my reasons. What, did you stalk me yesterday or something?” He laughed, but it was strained. He didn’t want to know. He didn’t want  _ another _ person trying to nose their way into his personal issues, his personal life. Reaper, with his eyes everywhere and his constant prodding, was enough as it was.

“Well I was… just worried ‘bout ya. You said you were going home but you were walking in the direction that was… not home. I promise I never actually saw ya though. You were long gone by the time I even knew where to go.”

Lust felt his annoyance rising. He didn’t need people worrying about him. He didn’t  _ want _ people worrying about him! It was a waste of thought and a waste of emotion and energy. He didn’t need anyone’s pity. He didn’t need to be reminded that he drinks more than half of the days of the week, or that he basically lives and breathes cigarette smoke. Speaking of which… He clenched one of his fists. He  _ really _ wanted to smoke right now. The withdrawal was really spiking his anxiety more than it ever needed to be.

“It’s fine. Please, let’s… not talk about this.”

“...Ok.”

They sat next to each other, tensions high. Horror continued to batter the counter with his fingers, Lust checking his phone.

Horror broke the silence, albeit awkwardly. “Sorry for bringing it up.”

Lust scratched his head, sighing. “It’s okay… I should probably get going, though.”

The other looked disappointed. He picked up the plastic bottle full of metal, shaking it around, watching how the different pieces clanked against each other. He gave a smile, which looked more like a grin, as Lust stood up. He pocketed his phone and gave Horror a wave, making sure to drop a coin in the cup for him.

And he walked off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im really sorry about the wait- I've been moving to a new apartment as well as having to complete art projects and maintaining my art blog (which has skyrocketed since I last updated this like jesus). I'm really glad I got to write for it again though.  
> Comments are super duper appreciated! I'd love to know how I'm doing.

**Author's Note:**

> ((I have 15 pages of this shit and trust me it only gets worse- 
> 
> And anyone wondering about my other fic I do actually have the next update ready I just haven't posted it yet bc I'm a perfectionist and I'm trying to figure out where I want the story to go))


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